Airplanes

Zoom! Discover the amazing world of airplanes. Click on the video playlists to learn all about the incredible machines and the people who make airplane flight possible, or choose one of the activities from the choiceboard below. STEAMventures await!

Video Playlists

Ages 5-7

Ages 7-9

All Ages

Digital Choiceboard

Flip over the tiles to discover crafts, experiments and more! Choose as many as you like.

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Discover The Four Forces Of Flight

Learn why No One Can Explain Why Airplanes Stay in the Air. Scientists can’t fully explain why airplanes stay in the air, but they have a pretty good idea. Learn how theories have changed from Scientific American magazine.

Next, find out more from The Smithsonian with their The Four Forces of Flight: Explainer Demo. Understand how thrust, lift, drag and weight affect different aircraft.

Play With NASA’s Airfoil Simulator!

How Does a Plane Wing Work? The shape of a plane’s wing is called an airfoil. Learn more about how an airfoil creates lift.

Now learn How to Make Your Own Airfoil with help from DIY SmartKids123.

Make Straw-Loop Airplanes

It took many years of imagining, designing, testing and failing to create an airplane that could actually fly.

How did the first inventors do it? Check out Great Inventors: The Wright Brothers to find out!

Practice the design process by following the directions for making Straw Airplanes.

Practice Flying And Controlling Air Traffic With These Great Simulators

Simulators are a great way to practice a new skill without the risks in real-life. Practice taking the pilot’s controls with the Flightgear Flight Simulator.

Once you’ve mastered flying one plane, try managing multiple planes at once with NASA’s Air Traffic Controller Simulator.

Explore The Strangest Planes Ever Built

Check out the Top 10 Weirdest Aircraft Designs We Love and the Stories Behind Them. Understand more about the problems that engineers were trying to solve with these crazy designs.

What problem do you want to solve? Design and build your own wacky plane design. Use materials you find around your home.

Engineers also love to experiment by improving existing technology. Learn How to Fold Five Incredible Paper Airplanes. How can you change these designs to make them better?

Build A Paper Airplane Launcher

In the early days of airplanes, engineers struggled to launch planes from short runways like on a ship. The solution was the aircraft catapult. Learn about How Supercarrier Aircraft Catapults Work.

Now Make a Paper Airplane Launcher to try with different paper airplane designs.

Make A Cool Pilot’s Hat

Think being a pilot would be fun? Check out Kid vs. Pilot: How Planes Work. Hear from a real pilot to see if you have what it takes.

Now learn How to Make a Paper Pilot Hat to dress the part!

Make A Model Airplane And A Model Airport

Learn How to Make Clothes Peg Planes and imagine all of your flights around the world.

Now learn How to Make a Cardboard Airport for Kids to practice take-offs and landings with your model planes. Make sure to include a hangar where your planes can live.

Build A Paper Airplane Obstacle Course

Learn How to Play the Paper Airplane Hanger Game. Practice making different shapes out of clothes hangers as obstacles for your paper airplanes.

Join A World-Wide Paper Airplane Competition

Compete with kids around the world in the Virtual Airplane Distance Challenge. Share your flight plans with people you know to see how far your virtual plane can travel.